The present invention is for a water driven vibrating massager mounted in an opening in the wall of a spa and the process for mounting the massager. Water driven massagers are known and one such massager is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,198,544. The vibrator utilizes an unbalanced rotor, which is impacted by a stream of water, which then passes outwardly through a screen on the face of the rotor.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,948,167 shows a vibration device which also uses an eccentric rotor, which is turned by a jet of water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,432 is a water driven personal massager, which directs a stream of water against an eccentrically weighted turbine. The water passes outwardly through holes in the body of the massager.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a water driven vibrating massager which may be mounted in an opening in a spa wall and preferably in an opening which is capable of supporting a water jet.
The present invention is for a water driven vibrating massager mounted in an opening in the wall of a spa. A spa wall has an opening with an outer surface and an inner surface and a massager mounting frame is secured in the opening. The mounting frame has a frame elastic support portion extending inwardly with respect to the opening and the massager mounting frame extends interiorly with respect to the inner surface of the opening in the spa wall to an inner massager body support wall. A massager body is held by said massager mounting frame by at least one elastic member held between the elastic member support portion of the mounting frame and a massager body elastic member support portion extending outwardly from the massager body. The massager body extends interiorly to a support area adjacent the inner massager body support wall. An outer elastic member has an outer portion held by the frame elastic member support portion and an inner portion held by said massager elastic member support portion. An inner elastic member is held between the inner massager body support wall of the frame and the support area of the massager body. The massager body has an inner water passageway, having a water inlet in an inner end of the massager body and a water outlet near a massager surface, positioned in said massager body outwardly with respect to said outer surface of said opening of said spa wall.
An eccentrically weighted turbine is positioned in the inner water passageway and is rotatingly supported by the massager body. The turbine includes means for being turned by the flow of water past the turbine. When water passes into the water inlet of the massager body, it causes the eccentrically weighted turbine to turn, thereby vibrating the massager body and the massager surface thereof. Preferably, the weighted turbine has an axis of rotation parallel to the inner water passageway. Also preferably, the outer elastic member comprises a pair of elastic rings surrounded by a support flange held by the massager body. The massager surface of the massager preferably forms a peripheral wall surrounding a central opening and the water outlet passes outwardly through this central opening. Preferably, the inner elastic member is an O-ring.
The turbine may be made from a cylindrical member with compartments on an outer periphery thereof, some of the compartments containing weights. The turbine may have an annular ring for the passage of water, which annular ring contains angled veins.
The present invention is also for the process for installing a massager in the wall of a spa. The spa has a plurality of water jets in the wall in water jet bodies by a locking ring. The water jet is removed by unscrewing the locking ring and pulling the water jet out of its mounting frame. Then a massager body is inserted into the mounting frame of the water jet and the locking ring is locked over the massager body.